Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

At last - here it is! BIWI's 2 week Low Carb Bootcamp - starts tomorrow - sign in here

999 replies

BIWI · 15/04/2012 22:36

Lots of you have said you want to do this - now it's time to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak.

Oh, alright, it's free. Grin

The plan is that we have two very strict weeks of low carbing. Which is why, doh, it's called a bootcamp.

There are 'rules of engagement' for the fortnight - but they're different if you're carnivore or a vegetarian. I shall post the rules for us carnivores, and flipflopflap will post the rules for those of you that are vegetarians.

Sign in with your starting weight - in pounds, stones and pounds, kilos or - if you don't want to reveal your weight, with 100 as an index - and what you're wanting to achieve in the two weeks. I know that not everyone is doing this for the purpose of weight loss, so you don't have to do this if you don't want to - but tell us what you want this fortnight to help you achieve.

The Carnivore Rules

1.Eat three, proper meals a day.
You must eat breakfast. It doesn?t have to be a lot, but you must have something. For the rest of the day, if you?re eating enough food and you are in ketosis then you shouldn?t be hungry. But if you are hungry, eat something. (Hard boiled eggs make a great snack)

2.Avoid processed food
Focus on pure, natural protein as the basis for your meals ? meat/fish/eggs. Things like sausages, ham, bacon, pre-prepared burgers etc should be avoided as much as possible. You can have them, but just not every day. Avoid foods marketed as low carb, e.g. Atkins Daybreak bars.

3.Eat lots of fat.

Eating fat helps you to burn fat. Honestly! Fry in butter, add butter to vegetables, eat salad with a home-made vinaigrette dressing (not made with balsamic vinegar though, as this is too sweet), add mayonnaise where you can (just check the carb count on your mayo first). Eat fattier cuts of meat ? e.g. pork belly, roast chicken with the skin on and/or eat the fat off your lamb chops. Absolutely no low fat/light foods of any kind!

4.Make sure you are eating vegetables and salads with your food ?
This is where your carbs should come from, and this is non-negotiable. But choose only those vegetables that are on the allowed list. You don?t have to weigh/count carbs ? this is one of the great joys of this WOE (way of eating), but if you?re new to low carbing it can be helpful to weigh your portions of veg in the early days, just so that you know how many carbs are in the sort of portions that you like to eat

*5.Be careful about dairy (apart from butter, which is unlimited). It can impede weight loss for some people. If you are still drinking tea/coffee with milk or cream, try to restrict yourself to max 2 cups per day. You may eat cheese, but don't overdo it. Full fat yoghurt is the best way to include dairy in your diet - but beware, it does contain carbs. Total Full Fat is the best.

6.You must drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day.
The more weight you have to lose, the more water you should drink

7.No alcohol
If you really can't do this - at least try and restrict it to the weekend. Vodka with soda is the best thing to drink. Or Champagne, red wine or dry white wine.

8.No fruit
Really. Seriously. Honestly. None at all. Zilch. Nada.

9.No nuts/seeds
Whilst these are really good to snack on later - it can be too easy to start snacking on these - and before you know it, all your carbs have gone on nuts. Seriously - in bootcamp - don't do it to yourself.

10.No sugar or artificial sweeteners

OP posts:
GreenEyesAndHam · 17/04/2012 10:20

Morning all

Good news- headache has lifted Smile

And managed to keep breakfast down Grin

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:23

This thread is great - I love BIWI shouting 'NO PEAS' at us all. I wish someone had shouted that at me in January when I erroneously assumed that peas were OK to eat (cos they are green Hmm).

That blog you have linked to shirl is ace. I am going to spend all day looking at that. I have no recommendations re the leg of lamb. Have you Nigella Summer - there is a shredded lamb and pomegranate salad thingy in there which I always think looks lovely but I have never made (because I can't bear the smell of lamb cooking).

I have not been very good, I am feeling rather unwell. My kidney is playing up again so have been up all night with horrible kidney pain, gave in and took a tramadol for the first time in ages, span out from the tramadol and was awake all night in a state. I drank about 4 cups of hot chocolate between the hours of 2 and 5 this morning trying to sooth myself. I have eaten nothing this morning because I feel sick, but am going to venture into the bright lights of Swindon town centre at lunchtime and treat myself to a naice salad from M&S.

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:25

uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/516266

Here is the Nigella recipe, which is a bit bollocks actually because you can't bloody well have pomegranate or carrot! But, if you have some pom molasses you can use that and serve it with lemon, mint and yoghurt.

TheGoddessBlossom · 17/04/2012 10:25

BIWI - check out what Zoe Harcombe says about caffiene. It creates a hormone which helps you retain fat.

daisychicken · 17/04/2012 10:29

Morning :) yesterday was a make it through day but today I am pleased to announce that my food delivery has just arrived with low carb goodies! :D

Breakfast 2 slices of bacon (couldn't face eggs this morning)
Snack stick of celery and pâté
Lunch either salad with chicken or celeriac bake and chicken
Tea chicken stir fry

I find the water goes down easier if cold from the fridge and/or fizzy - I have a soda stream for this reason (though DH & kids insist on adding concentrate to their fizzy water.. wierd lot :D )

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:31

You can make a Goa-style curry paste

In a blender put

Thumb of ginger
4 cloves garlic
Great big dollop of tamarind paste
3 big spoons of hot paprika/chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri) or mix of two
Teaspoon ground fennel

Teaspoon poppy seeds
Star Anise
6 black peppercorns
Teaspoon cumin seeds
(poppy seeds, anise, cumin, peppercorns, toast these spices in a dry frying pan for a min or two and then grind in pestle and mortar, then add to blender).

Slosh over some cider vinegar and blend until smooth.

To make curry, fry onion (if low carbing just use 1/2 onion), then add spice paste and fry over medium until 'bhuna' fashion (i.e. until the oils are released from the spices). Then add whatever meat you like, stir through, and then add stock to cover and cook on low for an hour or so.

This is a really tasty curry - it is a vindaloo essentially, but you can adjust the heat by reducing the chilli powder or replacing it with ordinary paprika. I make this a lot with cauli or spinach and chicken thighs, or buy a ready cooked chicken from the rotisserie for a quick and lazy curry.

encyclogirl · 17/04/2012 10:33

Just adding myself to the list:

reallyslowburner - current weight 12st 4lbs
KeepOrfThemCarbs - current weight 10st 8lbs
Thisisformatilda - current weight 13st 8lbs
Schnarkle - current weight 157lbs
GreenEyesandHam - current weight 9st 12lbs
Fourthousandholes - current weight 100
LoopingLizards - current weight 130 lbs
Custardoguiltybyassociation- current weight 9st 7lb
Bettybathroom - current weight 61.7kg
Onthecouch - current weight 182 lbs
MNP - current weight 15st 12lbs
Pistey - current weight 10st 7. Aiming to be in the nines.
cardoon - current weight 10st 12
Renaldo - 78.5 kgs - eventual goal 65 Kgs but 75 in two weeks would be fab
Ohforfoxsake 12st 5
Gothicmama 9 st 13
JaxTeller - 14st 13lbs, eventual goal 12 stone.
WillieWaggledagger - current weight 11st 4lb
Moonmother 10st 8 lbs goal 8st 7lbs
NotMostPeople - 12st 0lbs - 11st 7lbs first goal
noddyholder - 9st 9lbs - wants to be 9
MariaCallous - 9st 10 and want to get to 9st.
MariaCallous' DH is 14st 8 and wants to be 14
SharonGless - 13st 4lbs
BIWI - 10st 6lbs - would like to be in the 9s as soon as possible, please!
Wohmum - 10 st 14, aiming to get to 10 eventually. Would live to lose 6lb these 2 weeks
FiddleDeFat - 15st 2lbs
lemniscate - 12st 5lbs, would like to get into the 11s
TherapeuticVino - 12s 1lb, aiming for 10st 7lbs
ilovemyteddy - started at 224.4lb currently 192.6lb target 147lb (not in two weeks though )
ANTagony - 16st 3lb, I'd like to get to 14st by the summer hols (11st ultimately)
ANTagony DH - 17st 6lb, he'd like to get to around 14st as an end game.
Radio Silence - 10st 7 lbs and aiming for 9st 12lbs
Catsmamma- waist 36
MrsNouveauRichards - 10st 2lbs, need to be nearer 9st 7lbs
Teandthorazine - 11st and aiming for 10 st 10 in two weeks. Ultimate goal is 10st.
kandinskysgirl-12.3 wants to be 11.something ASAP (ultimate goal nearer 10stone though)
FaresPlease - 11st on the dot, hoping for 6lbs this fortnight, 2 stone eventually
SeriousWispaHabit - 14st 8 - goal under 14
ShirleyKnot - 12st 2 --and a half
LackaDAILYcarb - 81.5kg. Ultimate Goal is 60kg, eventually!
TheShapeJaper - 9.12 wants to be 9st but 9.7 by end of BC
PorkyandBess 10st 12.5lb
Slotrightin 12st 9lb
Daisychicken 9st 2lb
Knotty 10st 7lb - need to break the 10st barrier
Smokinaces - aims to lose 7lb in a fortnight
Flipflopflap- 10st 13lb Hoping for 6lb during bootcamp, 10st eventually.
elliephant 10st 7lbs - every bit helps
livelongandprosper - 9st 9lbs, goal is 9st 2lbs and reduced carb addiction
mammya - waist 107cm
GettinTrimmer - 12st 9lb aiming to lose 7lb in 2 weeks
creamtea1 - 10 st 7, aiming for 10 st 3 by end of bootcamp. 10 st exactly by end May, 9 stone ultimate goal
Twit - 10 st 10 ultimate 9 st but really just want to get into my trews
Ledkr-current weight 13 stones would love half a stone during bootcamp. Goal is to be back in my lovely pre baby size 14's.
FauxFox - 11st11 want to be 10st.
mummyduff - 10st1lb.
Eviltwin - 9st12lb
Hepsibaaah 140lbs, aiming for to drop 6 lbs in 2 weeks
Blueberryboybait - 14st 9lbs hoping for a 3st loss eventually but half a stone initially would be great.
EatenAllTheEasterEggs - 12st 10 - goal 10st or under
Lovecat - 12st 2 - eventual goal 10st but just to lose half a stone would be wonderful.
Roseforme - 12stone11 and want to lose a stone but would settle for 2lbs a week.
Vnmum - 10st 1 1/2, want to get well into the 9's. Ultimate goal 9st
Fuzzybirds - 9st 4lbs aiming for 9st
BerylStreep - 89.2kg, aiming for under 87kg, and 80kg eventually
Phwooooar - 14.4 aiming for anything in the 11s..
Littlemagic - Start 100 hopeful by end of bootcamp will be 93.
Wizzybizzy - Starting at 10st, aiming for 9st. Would be please with half of this in 2 weeks
Fava-starting at 67kg ultimate goal to break the under 60kg barrier;boot camp goal: anything goes (for good!)
MsRinky - 107.8kg
ToryLovell - 14stone 3 - aiming for half a stone at the end of boot camp
Gincognito - starting at 11st 6lbs. Would like to get down to 10st, but would settle for 10st 6lbs
DistantShip ? starting at 12st 2lbs with a long term goal of 10st 7lbs ?aiming for 6lbs
Coocoocachoo - starting 12st 4lbs, want to be in 11's by end of second week.
Dorado - 83.3kg want to get to 65 eventually - hope to be under 80 at the end of Bootcamp.
Encyclo - 10st3 want to see the 9's by end of boot camp. Already down 10 lbs in 15 days! This WOE is just amazing. Loving the food, and loving the results.

ShirtyKnot · 17/04/2012 10:36

I LOVE the look of that KeepOrf. Right, that's what we're having tomorrow then.

Because the lamb is already cooked I think I might do less than an hour!!

ShirtyKnot · 17/04/2012 10:39

Shit, just read back.

Have you any idea what made you feel so shitty KeepOrf? I'm sorry that this is all still dragging on, it must be doing your head in. Sad

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:43

Yes, it will probably be a lot less than an hour, when I do it with rotisserie chicken it takes less than that. You just need to make sure the spices are cooked really, so it would prob only need about 20 mins.

It is absolutely delicious - I hardly ever cook other curries now as DP and I love this (dd is a wimp and has korma).

If you can find some in the ethnic food section, curry leaves added to the end give it an extra flavour, but I normally can't be arsed and just shove a load of coriander on top.

Re tamarind, get a jar of the paste, not those blocks of shite which you have to add to water and then strain the pulp.

left an ingredient out you need to add 6 cloves to the frying pan spices

vnmum · 17/04/2012 10:46

wasn't going to weigh daily but had a sneak peak and am 1lb down already. Now I just hope it continues to go down during the week and not bloody stick like it has in the past.

keepOrf You are not too far away from me, only an hour or less Smile

I started drinking redbush tea when I started LCing. A Soith African friend of mine reccomended it when I asked for black tea at theirs. It is natural sweeter taste and naturally caffeine free. You can also get it with mint and vanilla. Lots of choice in waitrose.

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:46

Thanks shirl

I have no idea why this has flared up. It has been fine since about January. I live in fear of god that it will come back - I had such a shite time last autumn, with talks of dialysis left right and centre. Luckily I have a hospital appointment tomorrow (my normal monthly checkup) so hopefully they can look at it there.

noddyholder · 17/04/2012 10:50

Keeporf what is wrong with your kidneys?

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:55

I was diagnosed last October with gomerulonephritis - was on steroids for a while and my kidney function was completely scuppered. Is better now (or was) but I was signed off work for 3 months and have only been back FT (came back PT for a while) for a few months.

Hence why I am on this diet in the first place (all that steroid bloat plus being bedridden eating doritos last year) and why I am not going into ketosis and just cutting out refined white carbs. I don't dare reduce my carbs too much.

I am sure it is just a blip tbh.

BIWI · 17/04/2012 10:56

Sorry to hear about your kidney, KeepOrf. (Blush have just realised who you are ...)

Re the curry, remember - if you can replace the onion with shallots you will be making something a lot less carby.

Goddess - I'd forgotten that Zoe Harcombe says that. It seems this issue about whether or not caffeine stimulates insulin hasn't been resolved yet.

Maybe giving up caffeine would be a good idea. but I'm not going to do that today as I'm still feeling shit

OP posts:
noddyholder · 17/04/2012 10:56

I had it as a child

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:58

Oh god noddy - did you recover completely, and did it ever come back?

It is pretty grim isn't it. I asked the specialist where mine had come from, he said that sometimes it is just caused by a virus which causes the kidneys to go haywire. My kidney function has been steadily improving, but it looks as if I will have to monitored for a while incase it degenrates again.

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 10:59

biwi I thought I would namechange in honour of the bootcamp thread loser

vnmum · 17/04/2012 11:00

just watched the youtube link. very interesting but i don't think I can manage to eat only grass fed meat as it suggests, too expensive.
Those of you who cook with coconut oil, does it make everything taste coconutty?
I am trying to get DH to use it instead of olive oil but he's worried about the taste

noddyholder · 17/04/2012 11:02

Mine was post strep throat. I didn't recover and have had 2 transplants but apparently if I had been treated initially with high does steroids it may have been reversed

greygirl · 17/04/2012 11:05

Hello everybody! I am joining too (as promised) but couldn't get on mumsnet yesterday (too busy clearing up the aftermath of the school holidays!). I stuck well to the WOE yesterday, but i think i needed more water. I was also really boiling hot last night - guess that is Carb Flu. Anyway I will stick my name on the list. (i have lost a pound overnight, but that is possibly water weight).
and to say that people with kidney problems SHOULD NOT go into ketosis, it puts even more stress on the kidneys (which is why normal people should drink loads - plus every wee washed away calories!)

reallyslowburner - current weight 12st 4lbs
KeepOrfThemCarbs - current weight 10st 8lbs
Thisisformatilda - current weight 13st 8lbs
Schnarkle - current weight 157lbs
GreenEyesandHam - current weight 9st 12lbs
Fourthousandholes - current weight 100
LoopingLizards - current weight 130 lbs
Custardoguiltybyassociation- current weight 9st 7lb
Bettybathroom - current weight 61.7kg
Onthecouch - current weight 182 lbs
MNP - current weight 15st 12lbs
Pistey - current weight 10st 7. Aiming to be in the nines.
cardoon - current weight 10st 12
Renaldo - 78.5 kgs - eventual goal 65 Kgs but 75 in two weeks would be fab
Ohforfoxsake 12st 5
Gothicmama 9 st 13
JaxTeller - 14st 13lbs, eventual goal 12 stone.
WillieWaggledagger - current weight 11st 4lb
Moonmother 10st 8 lbs goal 8st 7lbs
NotMostPeople - 12st 0lbs - 11st 7lbs first goal
noddyholder - 9st 9lbs - wants to be 9
MariaCallous - 9st 10 and want to get to 9st.
MariaCallous' DH is 14st 8 and wants to be 14
SharonGless - 13st 4lbs
BIWI - 10st 6lbs - would like to be in the 9s as soon as possible, please!
Wohmum - 10 st 14, aiming to get to 10 eventually. Would live to lose 6lb these 2 weeks
FiddleDeFat - 15st 2lbs
lemniscate - 12st 5lbs, would like to get into the 11s
TherapeuticVino - 12s 1lb, aiming for 10st 7lbs
ilovemyteddy - started at 224.4lb currently 192.6lb target 147lb (not in two weeks though )
ANTagony - 16st 3lb, I'd like to get to 14st by the summer hols (11st ultimately)
ANTagony DH - 17st 6lb, he'd like to get to around 14st as an end game.
Radio Silence - 10st 7 lbs and aiming for 9st 12lbs
Catsmamma- waist 36
MrsNouveauRichards - 10st 2lbs, need to be nearer 9st 7lbs
Teandthorazine - 11st and aiming for 10 st 10 in two weeks. Ultimate goal is 10st.
kandinskysgirl-12.3 wants to be 11.something ASAP (ultimate goal nearer 10stone though)
FaresPlease - 11st on the dot, hoping for 6lbs this fortnight, 2 stone eventually
SeriousWispaHabit - 14st 8 - goal under 14
ShirleyKnot - 12st 2 --and a half
LackaDAILYcarb - 81.5kg. Ultimate Goal is 60kg, eventually!
TheShapeJaper - 9.12 wants to be 9st but 9.7 by end of BC
PorkyandBess 10st 12.5lb
Slotrightin 12st 9lb
Daisychicken 9st 2lb
Knotty 10st 7lb - need to break the 10st barrier
Smokinaces - aims to lose 7lb in a fortnight
Flipflopflap- 10st 13lb Hoping for 6lb during bootcamp, 10st eventually.
elliephant 10st 7lbs - every bit helps
livelongandprosper - 9st 9lbs, goal is 9st 2lbs and reduced carb addiction
mammya - waist 107cm
GettinTrimmer - 12st 9lb aiming to lose 7lb in 2 weeks
creamtea1 - 10 st 7, aiming for 10 st 3 by end of bootcamp. 10 st exactly by end May, 9 stone ultimate goal
Twit - 10 st 10 ultimate 9 st but really just want to get into my trews
Ledkr-current weight 13 stones would love half a stone during bootcamp. Goal is to be back in my lovely pre baby size 14's.
FauxFox - 11st11 want to be 10st.
mummyduff - 10st1lb.
Eviltwin - 9st12lb
Hepsibaaah 140lbs, aiming for to drop 6 lbs in 2 weeks
Blueberryboybait - 14st 9lbs hoping for a 3st loss eventually but half a stone initially would be great.
EatenAllTheEasterEggs - 12st 10 - goal 10st or under
Lovecat - 12st 2 - eventual goal 10st but just to lose half a stone would be wonderful.
Roseforme - 12stone11 and want to lose a stone but would settle for 2lbs a week.
Vnmum - 10st 1 1/2, want to get well into the 9's. Ultimate goal 9st
Fuzzybirds - 9st 4lbs aiming for 9st
BerylStreep - 89.2kg, aiming for under 87kg, and 80kg eventually
Phwooooar - 14.4 aiming for anything in the 11s..
Littlemagic - Start 100 hopeful by end of bootcamp will be 93.
Wizzybizzy - Starting at 10st, aiming for 9st. Would be please with half of this in 2 weeks
Fava-starting at 67kg ultimate goal to break the under 60kg barrier;boot camp goal: anything goes (for good!)
MsRinky - 107.8kg
ToryLovell - 14stone 3 - aiming for half a stone at the end of boot camp
Gincognito - starting at 11st 6lbs. Would like to get down to 10st, but would settle for 10st 6lbs
DistantShip ? starting at 12st 2lbs with a long term goal of 10st 7lbs ?aiming for 6lbs
Coocoocachoo - starting 12st 4lbs, want to be in 11's by end of second week.
Dorado - 83.3kg want to get to 65 eventually - hope to be under 80 at the end of Bootcamp.
Encyclo - 10st3 want to see the 9's by end of boot camp. Already down 10 lbs in 15 days! This WOE is just amazing. Loving the food, and loving the results.
Greygirl -10.9(yesterday)aiming for 9st 4 eventually.

doradoo · 17/04/2012 11:07

Todays menu plan

Breakfast - spinach and cheese omlette (2 eggs)
Lunch - salad nicoise - loads of salad with a tin of tuna, some capers, some french beans, egg and dressing
Supper - moussaka and salad
Snacks - mini cabanossi and almonds

greygirl · 17/04/2012 11:08

Sorry that post makes me look really callous - took a long time to print out - I am sorry about the kidney problems, and gosh noddy you are amazing to survive your kidney transplants.

Hope everything works out well for you keeporf.

KeepOrfThemCarbs · 17/04/2012 11:11

Oh I am so sorry that you had had to have two transplants. That is really grim. You must have suffered horribly. Sad.

Specialist told me that it can come on after a throat infection which amazed me, it doesn't seem like a logical connection at all. I was slightly coldy ill before my kidney started hurting, but I don't think it was a throat infection per se. It came from nowhere - a slightly achey back and then BAM I couldn't move for the pain. Yes I was on a very high dose of steroid and I paid privately for a biopsy rather than wait 6 weeks, I think that hurried things along.

I was a bit dependent on the tramadol for a while, coming off those was GRIM .

Finger crossed that it keeps the hell away. I hope you're OK now - you must be worried always about your transplanted kidneys.

ShirtyKnot · 17/04/2012 11:13

God, I'm just glad you have a hospital appointment tomorrow - they should be able to put your mind at rest - maybe it was just a blip.